Welcome

The Broward Amateur Radio Club (BARC) is a Florida, not-for-profit corporation of Amateur Radio operators, also known as “ham radio” operators, in Broward County Florida. BARC, Inc. is affiliated with the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), the National Association for Amateur Radio.

Amateur Radio operators are federally licensed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to provide a radio service having a fundamental purpose as expressed in the following principles:

Recognition and enhancement of the value of the amateur service to the public as a voluntary noncommercial communication service, particularly with respect to providing emergency communications;

Continuation and extension of the amateur’s proven ability to contribute to the advancement of the radio art;

Encouragement and improvement of the amateur service through rules which provide for advancing skills in both the communications and technical phases of the art;

Expansion of the existing reservoir within the amateur radio service of trained operators, technicians, and electronics experts,

Continuation and extension of the amateur’s unique ability to enhance international goodwill.

Members of the Broward Amateur Radio Club provide voluntary public service radio communications throughout the area for activities such as the bike rides, Walk-a-thons, manning the Broward County Emergency Operations Center, and the Annual Fort Lauderdale Winterfest Boat Parade. Our Amateur Radio operators also maintain a readiness to provide emergency communications locally regionally and world-wide in the event of a natural disaster or other calamity. when the need arise whether man-made or natural disasters occur.

CLUB CALLSIGN

The Broward Amateur Radio Club has an Amateur Radio club callsign assigned by the FCC. It is W4AB. Click on the link below to view the FCC callsign database entry for the club callsign: W4AB FCC License Data

WHAT DO WE DO?

Dedicated, skilled and experienced members of the Broward Amateur Radio Club have a long and proud tradition of providing vital public service communications capabilities within our community. Amateur Radio operator s are all volunteers who provide this service, without remuneration, at many local and Broward County public events such as the annual Fort Lauderdale Winterfest Boat Parade. Our members also provide safety communications for many other area events such as bicycle rides, walks, carnivals and many other events.

Specially trained members of our Club, participating in the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) program and the Radio Amateur Radio Emergency Service (RACES) are ready to serve this area when natural and human-caused disasters occur, and are on call day or night, especially “when all else fails! ” and most or all normal means of communications are disrupted.

Amateur Radio isn’t all “doom and gloom”. While the preparation for and ability to provide critical communications in time of disaster is the primary function of the Amateur Radio Service, ham radio operators also have fun and excitement when talking to fellow hams in other states as well in distant countries and islands around the globe.

Hams use various internationally assigned amateur frequency bands and modes which include voice, data modes, even television as well as the traditional International Morse Code. Knowledge of and proficiency in the use of Morse Code is no longer required to obtain an Amateur Radio license. Many hams, however, do learn it and then continue to use this simple but elegant communications mode, that in many circumstances, “gets the messages through” in conditions when other operating modes cannot.

WHAT IS AMATEUR RADIO?

Amateur Radio is the wonderful hobby of experimentation and fun in the area of electronic communication. Almost every Government around the world has allocated frequencies for Radio Amateurs to use. Amateurs are very, very skilled in operating in tough communicating conditions. When everything else fails, Amateur Radio works just fine. Testimonies are the services of Amateurs during the Hurricane Andrew, Sept-11 disaster, Hurricane Katrina, and the Indian Ocean Tsunami, just to name a few.

Amateurs (HAMs) are so called, not because they are not professionals at it, but because they do not do it to make money or not have any monitory interests in it. People come into the hobby of amateur radio for different reasons. It can be for social reasons, for fun, for the thrill of communicating with hams in far off places (even on the nternational Space Station!). They become hams for many reasons. Many become interested in the hobby purely because of the technical enjoyment of it and for learning and advancing the radio art.

Ham radio operators use two-way radio stations from their homes, cars, boats and outdoors to make hundreds of friends around town and around the world. They communicate with each other using voice, computers, and Morse code. Some hams bounce their signals off the upper regions of the atmosphere, so they can talk with hams on the other side of the world. Other hams use satellites. Many use hand-held radios that fit in their pockets.

Hams exchange pictures of each other using television. Some also like to work on electronic circuits, building their own radios and antennas. A few pioneers in Amateur Radio have even contributed to advances in technology that we all enjoy today. There are even ham-astronauts who take radios with them on the International Space Station and thrill thousands of hams on earth with a call from space!

Using even the simplest of radio setups and antennas, amateurs communicate with each other for fun, during emergencies, and even in contests. They handle messages for police and other public service organizations during all kinds of emergencies and events including, but in no way limited to:

Tornadoes and floodsHurricanes

Motorist accidents

Fires and chemical spills

Search and rescues

Large public events such as walks, runs, triathlons

THE AMATEUR RADIO OPERATOR’S CODE

The Radio Amateur is:

CONSIDERATE…never knowingly operates in such a way as to lessen the pleasure of others.

LOYAL…offers loyalty, encouragement and support to other amateurs, local clubs, and the American Radio Relay League, through which Amateur Radio in the United States is represented nationally and internationally.

PROGRESSIVE…with knowledge abreast of science, a well-built and efficient station and operation above reproach.

FRIENDLY…slow and patient operating when requested; friendly advice and counsel to the beginner; kindly assistance, cooperation and consideration for the interests of others. These are the hallmarks of the amateur spirit.

BALANCED…radio is an avocation, never interfering with duties owed to family, job, school or community.

PATRIOTIC…station and skill always ready for service to country and community.

Note: The original Amateur’s Code was written by Paul M. Segal, W9EEA, in 1928.